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DANIEL E. LADD AND ELIJAH J. B. W'HITAKER, OF BALTIMORE, MD.

SHOW-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,271, dated April 22, 1884.

- Application filed June 23, 1882. Renewed March 19, 188-1. (No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL E. LADD and ELIJAH J. B. WHITAKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Show-Cases, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to a show-case, and

has for its object to employ for the case a glass shade or globe of half-spherical shape. and to provide the samewith ahinge attached to a base, so that the case may be raised at one side. Thus the case serves at once as both case and cover.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a side view of the case. Fig. 2 is a view on a largerscale of a part of the shade, showing the metal binding. Fig. 3is aview of the springwire, which constitutes the hinge. Fig. 4 is a view in which is shown the connection and attachment of the spring-wire to the base. Fig. 5 is a top side view of part of the base. Fig. 6 is a bottom side view of same.

The letter A designates the glass shade,

and B the base upon which the shade sits. A hinge, O, secures the shade to the base and permits that side of the shade opposite thereto to be raised, as indicated in Fig. 1. A suitable pad, D, attached to the base or to the shade near the hinge, serves as a stop device to limit the movement of the shade and to act as a stay when it is up. A spring is attached to the shade in such manner as to tend normally to raise the shade, and a catch or latch is provided diametrically opposite the hinge to hold the shade down.

Proceeding now to a detailed description of the construction, the shade is provided around its bottom rim with a sheet-metal binding, E, secured thereto by cement or otherwise, and

in such way as to leave aspaee, f, between therim edge and binding. 'A spring-wire, 9, occupies the spaeef for a part, say, one-fourth, of the distance around, and the ends g of said wire are attached to the binding in any suitable manner. The central part of this springwire, as seen in Fig. 3, is bent to form two loops, h, which project through openings t in Y the sheet-metal binding. Each of these loops passes vertically through a hole, 70, in the base,

and are rigidly secured on the under side of the base, as shown at h, in any suitable manner. The loops h and the spring-wire 9, extending part of theway around, with its ends only fastened, being thereby adapted to be twisted slightly, constitutes the hinge O. The slight twisting of the wire 9, which the low ering of the shade A occasions, causes the same to act as a spring, having a tendency to raise the shade, as in Fig. 1, so that in the present case the spring-wire serves both as a hinge and a spring.

The pad D may consist of a block of rubher, a leather cushion, or other suitable elastic stop, and, as in the present case, may be attached to the base 13, or may be attached to the shade A in proximity to the hinge 0, whereby, when the shadeis raised, the pad D will be between the shade and base, and will act as a stop to prevent further movement of the shade, and will serve to sustain the same and prevent the glass from being broken.

A catch-hook, F, projects up through a slot, n, inthe base diametrically opposite the hinge G. This hook engages with a lateral lip, p, on the inner side of the metal binding 1*],indicated in Fig. 1. The catch-hook F is on the end of a rod, F, which extends and moves endwise across the bottom of the base, as seen in Figs. 1 and'5. At the extremity of this rod is a hook or ring, g, by which the finger may draw on it to release the catch-hook. A spring, r, is made fast to the bottom, and is connected to the rod in such manner as to cause the rod and hook to be normally thrust in the direction which will engage the hook with thelip 12. By this arrangement the catchhook may be released, so as to raise the shade, by entering the finger under the hinged side of the base. A short lever, s, is pivoted to the bottom on the catch-hook F side of the base, and is connected to the rodin such manner that when the finger draws on the hook 5 or ring if on the end of said lever the catchhook will be released, and thus the shade may be raised from this side also of the base. A shoulder, a, is formed around the base below the upper surface, and serves as a seat for the binding E of the shade. The base is supported by feet '0, which elevate it suifieient to permit entering the finger under the base.

This shade A may be surmounted by any ornamental figure or device, 10, which taste may suggest.

Having described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a show-case, the combination of a base, B, ahalf-spherical glass shade provided around its rim with a metal binding, a-hinge attached to the said binding and base, a spring which tends normally to raise the shade, and a catchhook which holds the shade when down, and which is provided 011 the under side of the base with means for its release, as set forth.

2. I11 a showcasc, the combination of the glass shade provided around its rim with a metal binding having openings 6, the binding 

